Farmers and landowners in England will be paid to ‘rewild’ their land, which could entail turning large areas into nature reserves or floodplains, as part of the Government’s new agriculture subsidy proposals.
The rewilding plans will focus on preserving endangered species and restoring rivers and streams. The Government is inviting farmers and other landowners to bid for funding to turn large land areas in England over to wildlife restoration, carbon-sequestering or flood prevention projects.
During the first two years of the initiative, which is due to start in 2023, bids are being accepted for 10 to 15 prototype projects, each encompassing at least 500 hectares, up to a total of almost 10,000 hectares, forming an area nearly 10 times the size of London’s Richmond Park.
By 2042, the Government hopes to have similar programmes covering up to 300,000 hectares in England, an area close to the size of Lancashire.
The move comes following the loss of EU subsidies, which were paid to farmers depending on the size of land they farmed.
To compensate for this, the Government will pay farmers and landowners depending on how they care for the environment.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has said that the move will aid sustainable and profitable food production, as well as helping nature to recover.
However, the plans are not yet universally approved, with some commentators claiming that rewilding could drive smaller farmers out of business.
Opponents of the plans say they are based on “blind optimism” and could even lead to increased food prices and shortages due to the overhaul of subsidy payments.
Meanwhile, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is concerned about the UK’s food security, warning that changing the use of agricultural land could damage the UK’s self-sufficiency and lead to increase imports of food.
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